Wireless communication networks implement various methods of maintaining a communication link with a wireless device as the wireless devices moves geographically. For example, a handover of a wireless device may be performed from a first access node to a second access node. In addition, the access nodes can be communicating with the network using different radio access technologies. For instance, a handover can be performed as the wireless devices moves geographically where the wireless device is handed over between a wireless cellular protocol such as CDMA, GSM, WiMAX, LTE, HSDPA, etc. to a local wireless protocol such as IEEE 802.11, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, IrDA, etc. Typically, when performing a handover from one radio access technology to another radio access technology, the respective access nodes allow the wireless device to establish a communication link regardless of network performance.